I think the issue you confront regarding the training is one we all encounter. Even in MBA classes we don’t get much opportunity to practice. Its as if we assume there is an automatic link between conceptual understanding of something and behaviorally doing it.

I think one way you may be able to bring practice into work is to pick one thing from the leadership training, let people know what it is you are practicing and that you might screw up, and then do it and keep doing it until you either determine it doesn’t work for you or you have enough confidence that you can do it – at which point it is now something you will probably use more and more.

When I was first learning about requests and promises, it was hard for me to put in deadlines for people. I would ask them for things and never say by when I wanted it. Once I realized that didn’t really work for them, or me, I decided to practice just that – adding deadlines. I told people I was practicing and then gave deadlines. In many cases, they would remind me when I forgot, so I got partners in the practice.

Now, I don’t know much about the training you are going through, but if you find something in it you think is of value, I recommend you practice it “one piece at a time” by letting people know you are doing that. It gives them permission to help you and to practice some things on their own.

What do you think?

This is Stephen, one of the many students who attended your classes at Fisher College when I was getting my MBA.

I just wanted to mention that I have read your first two entries of your blog and I think they are very well written. I’ve bookmarked it (and I don’t bookmark anything that quickly) for future reference and look forward to your next entry.

Your last entry particularly hit home on a couple of fronts. One is that I recently accepted a leadership position at Lockheed Martin in the past few months. Two, I find myself in a Lockheed Martin leadership training seminar this week. The class itself has been very good but only because we get opportunities to take a few practice shots with various manager scenarios and are critiqued on them. The practice sessions are good but I find myself in a quandary that really I have to implement what I have learned this week “live” starting next Monday when I get back to the home office. I keep getting worried and thinking I need more practice. I’ll have to see how it goes.

Looking forward to your next blog entry.

Sincerely,

Stephen Vukovich